BIDAR, Sept. 25 -- Three people have died and 44 sheep and goats were killed by lightning as heavy rain returned to parts of Karnataka, with the weather department warning of thunderstorms, strong winds and intense rainfall across the state over the next two days.

Lakshmi Guttedar, 45, and Saijad Bi, 60, died on Wednesday after lightning struck while they were eating lunch under a tree in their farmland at Nagur village in Kamalapur taluk of Kalaburagi district. A farmer was also killed by lightning while working in his field at Udabanalli village in Bidar South.

In Raichur and Bidar districts, 44 sheep and goats were killed in separate lightning strikes.

Kalaburagi deputy commissioner Mohammed Ikramulla Shariff said their families wou...